Order of Merlin
"An award given to those witch and wizards who's accomplishments have greatly contributed to the wizarding world." :— On the Order of Merlin The Order of Merlin (abbreviated''' O.M'.) is an award that a witch and wizard can receive when it is recognised that their personal accomplishments have in some way greatly contributed to the wizarding world. The Order has three different award levels: First Class, Second Class and Third Class. As a guiding example, it is quite similar to the Muggle worlds Order of the British Empire, whereby the First Class award is the highest and most senior order: a knighthood. The Order of Merlin award was invented in the 15th century to commemorate the Medieval wizard Merlin, and was first given out by the Wizengamot who have continued with this tradition ever since. The AwardsItalic (Ctrl+I) There are three different classes, and each have their own unique ribbon, that lies beneath an impressive, shimmering gold medal. *'First Class ' Awarded for "''acts of outstanding bravery or distinction" in magic. The colour of the ribbon for this class was green, believed to have been chosen intentionally to represent Merlin's Hogwarts House, Slytherin. *'Second Class ' Awarded for "achievement or endeavour beyond the ordinary." The colour of the ribbon for this class was purple. *'Third Class' Awarded to individuals who "have made a contribution to our store of knowledge or entertainment." The colour of the ribbon for this class was white. The Chief Warlocks Recipient List The process of being recognised and awarded with an Order of Merlin can be done one of two ways; individual witch and wizards may send by Owl to the Wizengamot, their suggestions of those they feel are deserving of one. In this correspondence, they must be as detailed as possible, including examples of their choices achievements, any evidence they may have if it is otherwise not common knowledge, and as much additional information as possible that would persuade the Wizengamot into choosing their suggestion. The Wizengamot may also decide on recipients of their own, though, as history goes, they have always had their favourites. Just like those who have been given undeserved seats in court, it is very possible that the Order of Merlin can be awarded to those simply unworthy of it, through bribery, nepotism and even corruption. Once a list is compiled, the Chief Warlock will assemble a committee, hand picked from the Wizengamot, who will gather together to discuss the worthiness of the names submitted, and thereafter the class of award they will receive. Once completed, this list is released to the general public via the Daily Prophet. Investiture The Investiture is an event held at the Ministry of Magic, when a witch or wizard who has received an Order of Merlin medal receives their award in person from either the Minister for Magic, the Chief Warlock or any other senior member of the Wizengamot. They are then able to wear their medals to special events, or whenever they please, and will thenon have the abbreviation O.M. after their names. The date of this investiture can vary, from year to year. However, the Wizengamot can punish recipients depending on their level of disgrace, by stripping them of their Order of Merlin completely. Known Recipients Order of Merlin, First Class Order of Merlin, Second Class Order of Merlin, Third Class Behind the Scenes *''Order of Merlin'' is an in-character award bestowed to witch and wizards by the Wizengamot, a part of the Ministry of Magic on the Alohomora sim at Mischief Managed. More information on how to be part of the story can be found here: http://mischiefmanagedsl.net/ *In order to have your characters considered for one of these awards, you must get in touch with the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot. It is generally better to do this in-character, however if it is an OOC question you have then feel free to get in touch with them privately beforehand. *At the moment, only one award for each class will be awarded per year, if of course there is enough reason to. As the awards are very hard to achieve, not all submissions are accepted by the Wizengamot. Don't be discouraged by this! it can always be reviewed again for the next year. *If your character already has an Order of Merlin award in their backstory, but you never added this to your initial application, all you have to do is reach out to the Roleplay Department. Alternatively, new awards are given in-character, by following the process outlined on this page. *Only characters in the Mischief Managed universe will have their awards listed on this page.